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Yisroel

♂ Boy

Pronounced YIS-roe-el /ˈjɪs.roʊ.ɛl/High

Meaning: Yiddish pronunciation of the Hebrew name Yisrael (Israel), meaning 'he who struggles with God' or 'God prevails', from the Hebrew sara (to struggle) and El (God)High

In 30 seconds: Yisroel is the Ashkenazi Yiddish-influenced form of the Hebrew name Yisrael (Israel), meaning he who struggles with God. It is used primarily in traditional Orthodox Jewish communities.
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Origin HighHebrew
MeaningYiddish pronunciation of the Hebrew name Yisrael (Israel), meaning 'he who struggles with God' or 'God prevails', from the Hebrew sara (to struggle) and El (God)
U.S. rank (2025)#826 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births300 boys (0.02% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2025
Total births (all-time)≈ 6,806

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202519502025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Yisroel is the Ashkenazi pronunciation of Yisrael (Hebrew: Israel), composed of the Hebrew root sara (to struggle, to strive) and El (God). In Genesis 32:28, the patriarch Jacob is renamed Yisrael after wrestling with a divine being, with the interpretation 'one who struggles with God'. This name became the name of the entire Jewish people — the Children of Israel — giving it unmatched historical and theological weight.

The Yisroel spelling and pronunciation reflects the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition, where Hebrew words were often pronounced according to Eastern European phonological patterns developed over centuries in the Yiddish-speaking communities of Central and Eastern Europe. The name is common in ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic communities today, where traditional Hebrew names are maintained in their Ashkenazi forms.

Did you know? The name Israel was given to the patriarch Jacob after he wrestled with an angel at the ford of the Jabbok River (Genesis 32), making it one of the most theologically loaded names in the Hebrew Bible — representing humanity's direct encounter with the divine.
Overall data confidence 93%
Behind the Name — Israel — Hebrew etymology; Yisroel is the Ashkenazi formGenesis 32:28, Hebrew Bible — biblical renaming of Jacob

Variations

IsraelYisraelIzzy

Nicknames

SruliSrulyIzzy

Famous Bearers

  • ★Yisroel Meir Kagan (1838–1933)
    Lithuanian rabbi and ethicist known as the Chofetz Chaim, one of the most influential Orthodox rabbinical figures of his era.

If you like Yisroel…

Moshe— fellow classic Hebrew biblical name in Ashkenazi form used in Orthodox communities
Yaakov— same tradition of Ashkenazi Hebrew biblical names
Dovid— shares the Orthodox Ashkenazi Jewish naming tradition
Shmuel— another prominent biblical Ashkenazi name used in traditional communities

Frequently Asked

What does the name Yisroel mean?

Yisroel means he who struggles with God or God prevails, from Hebrew sara (to struggle) and El (God).

How do you pronounce Yisroel?

It is said YIS-roe-el, with three syllables.

What is the difference between Yisroel and Israel?

Yisroel is the Ashkenazi Yiddish-influenced pronunciation of the same Hebrew name Yisrael, commonly used in Orthodox Jewish communities.

Is Yisroel a common name?

Yisroel is common in Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish communities but rare outside those contexts.